Apps to Help Students Succeed

Shayndel Jones

Mobile applications have changed the way people receive information. Aside from the typical gaming apps, there are also apps that can help students survive college, such as study apps like Quizlet and money saving apps like RetailMeNot.

Study apps can help students study individually and in groups while learning good study habits to succeed in college. Apps such as Skype and Quizlet have helped many students prepare for exams and presentations.

Many think Skype is only a communication app, but because of Skype’s features such as text chat, video chat, video and file sharing, it can also be a study app. When it’s late, cold outside or students are studying last minute for an exam and need something from a classmate, Skype can be a saving grace. It allows users to chat with others while they send files, and once the file has been downloaded, users can help one another decipher their handwriting so they can actually use the notes.

Quizlet is a general study tool that features millions of flashcard study sets for numerous topics created by student users. It allows users to incorporate images and audio into their flashcard sets, which adds variety to the learning process.

“I have used Quizlet and Kines Flash, which is a kinesiology flashcards app on your phone that shows pictures, like muscles, on the flashcards. They help with my major,” said Mackenzie King, junior kinesiology exercise physiology major.

Todoist is one of few apps that does project/sub-projects and tasks/sub-tasks in addition to other features. It tracks course assignments, sets reminders, bookmarks Web pages and more. The mobile app can combine with a Web browser for optimal use.

BenchPrep is an interactive course library with graduate and professional exam study material. It includes hundreds of practice questions, flashcards, in-app purchases and almost 600 study lessons.

Dragon Dictation uses accurate voice recognition software to instantly change spoken word into text. This works well if a student is in a time crunch and needs to quickly write an essay.

Money-saving applications are helpful when students are beginning to learn how to budget their money and handle their bank accounts and finances.

Walmart Savings Catcher is used by creating an account at Walmart.com; shoppers then enter their Walmart receipt number and the date of their visit. The site cross-references area circulars, comparing what shoppers spent with prices from competing stores. If an item they bought costs less elsewhere, Walmart refunds the difference on a gift card.

RetailMeNot finds coupon codes for tens of thousands of retailers while on the go. Cashiers can scan them straight from shoppers’ phones. Many malls support the app’s location-based service. Also, the app sends out an alert when shoppers get near a store that has a sale or a coupon available.

GoodBudget is an app for people who are ready to start creating a budget based on their cash flow. This app is also optimal for people whose pay schedules vary. The “irregular” option allows users to track inconsistent spending.

“I have not used a money-saving app yet, but I know people who have and they say that they are very helpful,” King said.